Giving birth requires both parties to come together

If I were a carpenter, and you were a lady. Would you marry me anyway? Would you have my baby?

A marrying of the old with the new is what is needed in this municipality and in my idealistic way is what I hoped to bring to this community when I ran for Mayor. I knew (as an outsider who had suddenly been thrown in with the insiders), because of the privileged opportunity I was given to serve as a Councillor in the past that this enabled me in three short years to meet, greet and come to know more people in that short time frame than someone living here for thirty years or more would never be able to do, that moderation in all things is what was required here.

From this experience, I got to know what made this community tick, who was who, and what needed fixing and what didn't. In my opinion, I felt I had the pulse of the community and in having that pulse I knew where one could tread and where one should not. What was doable and what was not. That change was needed but would have to be done slowly... but surely, with residents on-board rowing the ship of state while we steered it. Willing and enthusiastic fellow travelers in our journey to make a better life for all here in the 'beautiful' Crowsnest Pass.

This Mayor and Council obviously do not have the pulse of the community but instead like ideologues and zealots before them are attempting to ram down people's throats policies, rules and regulations more fitting for big urban centers than for our small town.

But that was not to be. Instead we now have a Mayor and Council that is attempting to change 'everything' overnight. Moving way to fast trying to do too much too soon. Like a bull in a china shop they have been running amok, oblivious to the damage they are causing in their blind zealousness to give us 'good governance'. As a result hurt feelings, anger and mistrust is their just reward for going way too fast in a community that likes slow... and gradual change... if change at all.

Giving birth to a new thing is a hard thing to do but if the Pass is to be reborn then there has to be a coming together of the two parties - the creationists of new life - that is, in our case, the coming together of oldtimers and newcomers... and all the baggage and demands that comes with that. In doing so, we will be able to create a Pass in our image with our small town ways of doing things and thinking, while at the same time doing without a lot of bureaucratic government parenting bordering on... well... child abuse.

The first step then is for Mayor and Council to get out of their "denial state". Peter Rosner in a comment on Emile Saindon's blog says it best...

your reactions are perfectly normal Emile right now you and the rest of this misguided council are in the “Denial” state of public reaction. Oddly enough the write ups in the local papers do not support your opinion. Whats even more disturbing is the fact that these opinions are coming from long terms residents or seniors who have seen it all, They initially believed in you guys and have now lost hope of any tax reductions what they see is a buaracratic nightmare with a big appetite that is going to have to be fed. This councils solution will be through bylaws and fines. Harrassing the very same people that put your asses in those seats of power. What do you think the outcome will be in the next election. Is there no independent thinking on this group of councillers surely one of you can see where this is headed.

Obviously the new way is alienating the old... and many in the new as well. Their focus and vision is not in sinc with the greater community, but only with a tiny elite minority who are not on the same page as the rest of us.

Are they willing and able to change direction is the big question? For the papers could soon be running adds...

"Only 72 weeks until the next election"

or

"Only 72 weeks until we give rebirth to our community with a new Mayor and Council"




The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time.

More dysfunction within our local government ranks

Talking with a local newspaper editor yesterday, I hear our municipality has suffered yet another set back in that our recently hired Interm Fire Chief/Director of Protective Services Ken Brands has quit.

In addition, one other person (still unknown?) supposedly has also quit or been shown the door.

Is there no end to our misfortunes here in the Pass?

It seems as though chaos, confusion, and anarchy are our lot. And here we thought that ended with the ouster of the last Mayor and Council, but the hits keep on coming, don't they?

One Mayor wanted nothing to change, while the other wants to change everything. Meanwhile, what is needed is 'moderation' in all things.

Instead, it looks like things have returned to normal here in the Pass i.e. SNAFU.



Look for the better men among those who are despised.

A Poem By Sara Poirier

Lust For Power
By Sara Poirier

The milk pumped from betrayal is oh so sour,
But we must use it to feed our lust for power.
Climb to the highest point on the social tower,
Stay there a life time and only work for an hour.

Cover their eyes and keep the cash flowing,
Don't tell the outsiders where it is going.
Spend it all without anyone knowing,
Make sure there is no evidence showing.

The poor are starving while the rich get fatter,
The wealthy stand on top while the peasants hold the ladder.
Empty promises while the economy get sadder,
A political debate turns to mindless chatter.

Parents teach us manners but they are so rude,
The children ran because they were abused,
The trees are clear of birds that once coed,
Nothing is left, it was all used.

To read more poetry by Sara Poirier Click Here


NOTE: It has been said the young shall inherit the earth. Our generation isn't leaving the next much, but hopefully Sara's will turn things around back to the way things used to be. According to those who knew a thing or two about mother earth... our native peoples.

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."



When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

Liar, liar, pants on fire

Heard recently that the Mayor chastised our local media for not reporting events according to municipal council's party line, especially with respect to the Thunder in the Valley fiasco. So it looks like he went out of town and got another newspaper more to his liking to do his bidding. Will we soon have a Prairie Post - 'Crowsnest Pass'?


No Thunder in Crowsnest Pass this summer

Talk about playing 'loosey-goosey' with both the facts and figures...

"We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of calls saying ‘thank you."

Ya, right! :-(



The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.

Oh me, oh my, the shit has hit the fan

Looks like the Pass has done a complete flip flop on their new mayor and council with the latter in hiding, no where to be seen (probably secretively 'consulting' with their over-paid and zealous consultants as to what to do next to save their bacon) afraid they might be lynched or at the very least tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. My recent polls (top left) show this quite clearly.

What a hullabaloo we now have with letters to the editor galore condemning this council and crass opportunists writing editorials gauging public opinion as to whether or not they should follow in 'mommy dearests' footsteps and be the voice of the common man (knowing nothing at all about the common man, having no life experience whatsoever in this area, while having a track record of being nothing more than the establishment's 'flunkie'. While at the same time being largely responsible for the mess we now have, whether that was in unquestioningly supporting the former mayor's 'mismanagement' and 'excesses' for twenty years, or the carpetbagger we now have). Town Talk from a pampered and 'elitist' flip flopper speaking out for the 'common person'. Now that's rich! The blogging world will have an on-going field day with this. So much baggage and so little integrity do not a crusader make.

Talking about crusades. There is much talk about a petition going around town seeking to oust mayor and council. Can't blame people for this, and not just about Thunder in the Valley either. This council has been a disaster with their secretive, 'our shit don't stink', and top down authoritarian style and attitude. Council today is more a corporatist boardroom lacking completely in sensitivity to the needs and wants of the community having no grasp whatsoever of the common touch. Not surprising considering they are being led by a 'technocrat' who in turn is being spoon-fed and directed by other technocrats with lemmings (council) just following along completely lacking in a mind, will or imagination of their own.

What surprises me is that they got this far without a public outcry as to the direction these guys were taking us. My own awakening came when they attacked the poor with their sinister 52% late property tax penalty Bylaw and the hiring of peace officers (Revenue Police) to fleece the public on an on-going basis. With respect to the former, the provincial government is showing leadership, compassion and caring in this regard, unlike our municipal government that looks upon their residents as nothing more than prey, not only in imposing gangster type usury fines but in wanting to shorten the arrears time-line from the present 3 years to 2, so that they can 'steal' people's homes sooner.

New property tax deferral program would help seniors stay in their homes

Well, that's it for now as my wife and I are going to join a good blogging buddy and his wonderful wife for breakfast at Chris'. Don't know why they would want to come back from beautiful (and warm) Arizona at this time of the year, but will be happy to see them again and catch up on old times and current events (not like we won't have much to talk about considering everything that is happening here locally, right? :-)

Finally got a day off, YAHOO!!




We have far more to fear from an unaccountable government at home than from any foreign terrorist.

13 ways to kill community support

By Joni MacFarlane Editor - Crowsnest Pass Promoter

For a great read on how our Mayor and Council dropped the ball on Thunder in the Valley check this out. Joni deserves the Pulitzer prize for this one...


Take the biggest event in your community – the one people come to for miles around and carefully follow these guidelines to ensure you elicit little support from the public:

1. Although you’re told in May by a handpicked task force that the event needs to be reorganized, wait until November to begin.

2. Ask for a resume “outlining previous related experience and interest” thus ensuring volunteers are alienated and dissuaded from participating.

3. Don’t reach out to those responsible for the main draw to the event, in this case the fireworks committee. If interested, they should come to you.

4. When no one “qualified” volunteers, handpick your own committee to oversee the reorganization.

5. Although emphasizing that policing is one of the main reasons for reorganizing, don’t include the local RCMP detachment.

6. When discussing the costs of the event, be evasive and shrug. Who can keep track of all those pesky figures they’re just so busy?

7. Speaking of costs, make sure to hire a few expensive consultants so when you say you have no money to host the event, it’ll be true.

8. Ignore the recommendation of the committee you finally coral into this thankless job and decide to take the advice of the consultants instead. Cancel the main draw of the event.

9. After the decision is announced, go out of town for a few days or be unavailable. People could be upset and want to talk about it.

10. If you do have to talk about it, pick one of the following reasons – costs, security, liability, fireworks bylaw. Don’t get pinned down by details.

11. Pass the blame. It’s the business community’s fault for not volunteering, it’s the public’s fault for not volunteering, it’s the volunteers fault for not volunteering. Again don’t get pinned down by details.

12. If anyone asks how many police will be needed this year, how much money will be spent this year or if the fireworks will be brought back next year, be evasive and shrug.

13. If they complain, remind them that they’re resistant to change.




Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.

What goes around comes around, now doesn't it?

Seems all the BS council has been giving us for their reasons to cancel Thunder in the Valley (TITV) is just that, *Bullshit*.

According to several different stories in this week's on-line version of the Pass Herald (local Hillbilly Gospel newspaper :-) ) the Rum Runner's (RR) Committee is planning on entertaining the re-introduction of 'Beer Gardens' to this year's event. This despite council's main stated reason for cancelling TITV due to 'safety' concerns... and 'policing costs'.

With respect to the latter, we also find out that those same 'policing costs' associated with RR & TITV now apply irregardless of TITV taking place, or not???

Seems to me we have been fed a bunch of BS as to the real reasons TITV has been cancelled by a chicken-hearted mayor and council who apparently bit off more than they could chew taking on the Blairmore Fire Department (BFD), and now find themselves with no community support and unable to organize and manage a 20 minute fireworks show, necessitating its cancellation.

And we elected these people to manage our affairs and take this community forward by being good fiscal managers who would generate business and economic development? It seems the only thing they have done is: lie to us, tax us to death, steal from the poor, chase away business and investment, turn us into a police state, and taken away what little we had in the first place, including our TITV which put this community on the map thanks to the on-going efforts and hard work of our BFD and local volunteers.

The only thing we're all waiting for now from our illustrious mayor and council is to be kissed. Because when getting f**ked, most of us always like to be kissed. :-o :-(


p.s. This council better hope I don't get anymore 'unexpected' time off work because I still have lots more to say about all the 'good governance' they are giving us. They can take that to the bank and to their 'bosses', the consultants they're spending our good money on like the drunken 'irresponsible' sailors they all seem to be.

Furthermore, in my opinion (and according to my on-line polls), by attempting to cancel TITV this municipal government is shirking its responsibility and accountability to the people, and therefore is no longer fit to govern. And its turning out they are liars to boot!




You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

How do you like me now?

After the last election some people I know and respect told me I lost because of my blog and honesty, but mostly because of my attacking 'teachers' as useless tits when it came to running a municipality, as far as what little they have accomplished over the years here while sitting as municipal councillors or even as mayors. In addition, I lost I was told, because I came out advocating for a full-time Mayor's position.

Apparently, a well organized and run concerted effort and smear campaign (precursor to today's Robocalls?) including mass emailings was launched against me by teachers, parents and students who attacked me for truthfully speaking my mind in one of my posts It's Time For Change!.

It seems I have always been at least 10 years ahead of my time here in the Pass, and more often than not right about the issues and concerns that matter to the people here.

What I have been saying over the years about what this municipality needs in the way of leadership, vision and direction, including that 'educators' do not have the training, background and/or experience to be good 'business managers' for a municipality, was true before and with recent events unfolding as we speak is true today as well. In addition, the vast amounts of money (our tax dollars) being spent on so-called professional 'consultants' (the great unwashed and unemployed) by a part-time Mayor and council makes my earlier suggestion and recommendation of offering myself as a full-time Mayor at the time, a bargain, now doesn't it?

So I ask you, "How do you like me now?"



The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything - or nothing.

Farewell my furry companion and faithful friend

One of my cats is dying. We took her in some 18 years ago when we first moved to the Pass after someone threw her out in late November in the midst of a bitterly cold and snowy period. We had two dogs at the time who have since passed on and another cat who is still with us.

I've always loved animals, especially dogs, more than I have people. Probably because...

"The one, absolute, unselfish friend
That man can have in this selfish world,
The one that never deserts him,
The one that never proves ungrateful
or treacherous, is his dog."

Cats on the other hand are a different breed of animal. Lets just say they are the epitome of independence. In my opinion, much can be learned from all living creatures if one wishes to learn as a student, rather than to dictate as a master who thinks he knows all when in fact he knows little. After all it has been said "A person who knows little likes to talk, and one who knows much mostly keeps silent".

The other day in my last post I expressed anger at what I perceived as a system out of control unjustly punishing its residents because of their own inadequacies in leadership. I did so because of my own inadequacies in lately working long days and nights at a stretch with not much rest, resulting in an angry outburst showing little in tolerance and love for my fellow man.

The truth of the matter is most of us want to change the world, or at the very least our little part of the world, thinking we know best while others do not. Society will not change because we wish it to, for as it has been said, "If you see that some aspect of your society is bad, and you want to improve it, there is only one way to do so: you have to improve people. And in order to improve people, you begin with only one thing: you can become better yourself." Our furry friends help us do that by sharing their love with us, and in that sharing we improve ourselves.

I've been fortunate throughout life to have had some wonderful and special furry friends that I hope to again meet up with one day. In the meantime, I will cherish the hours left with my 'Little Girl' at my side knowing she will never really leave as long as I still have my memories of what a truly special friend she has been.


UPDATE: March 19
Little Girl passed away this morning at 7:08. She was loved, and will be missed.




Look at the essence of life, not with the eyes in your head, but with the eyes of your heart.

I'm mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!!

Assuming Dean Ward has his facts right (which he usually always does) with his latest post on what we as a community are paying to these consultants hunkered down at municipal hall, who know NOTHING about our community (much like our current Mayor who spent most of his working life elsewhere than in the Pass), I must say I'm mad as Hell to learn what we are paying these people, all because our elected officials haven't a clue about what makes this community tick... vs what ticks us off!

So far, the only thing council has done since being elected over a year and a half ago is Take, Take, Take. Either directly in our pocket books or in things that we treasure and hold dear. It is almost like they are Dr. Frankenstein running amok in our community terrorizing the populace to their hearts content while offering no sustenance to those in need of something more than an ever growing stream of new policies, bylaws and rules and regulations that are both strangling and suffocating this community.

Any body of people elected to office who cannot manage a municipality without resorting to outrageously expensive hired help should have never ran for office in the first place, knowing they had no vision, experience or understanding of what they were getting into. A populace who were 'duped' into voting for these 'schmucks' deserve what they get, as far as I'm concerned. Especially considering what they could have had instead in the likes of Dean and his team... and myself.

Unfortunately, those of us who could have offered better, and those of us who didn't vote for them (especially the Mayor) still have to pay the price for all this 'good governance' that we are now getting. Thanks in large part to a certain newspaper that played a critical role in sticking us with these guys.

With the cancelling of Thunder in the Valley on the pretext they need a year to fine-tune things so that we will all feel 'safe' (I for one always felt safe?), I have to ask myself what have they been doing this past year leading up to this year's TITV?? Oh, yes, they have been 'consulting' with the so-called experts, who like some of them know nothing about this community (even though I'm sure they think they do) but plenty about being 'pigs at the trough', milking the system for all it is worth while at the same time killing a community by a thousand cuts with all their bureaucratic nonsense and stupidity.

It's plain BS and I'm mad as Hell and I for one am not going to take it anymore!! For I know the story of...


A Man Lived by the Side of the Road...
... and sold hot dogs

He had no radio.

He had trouble with his eyes, so he had no newspaper.

But he sold good hot dogs, and lots of them.

He put up a sign on the highway, telling how good they were.

He stood by the side of road and cried: "Buy a hot dog, mister", and people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders, and he bought a bigger store to take care of his trade.

He got his son home from college to help him, then something happened.

His son said: "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio? There's a big depression on. The international situation is terrible, and the domestic situation is even worse."

Whereupon his father thought: "Well, my son has been to college. He listens to the radio and reads the paper, so he ought to know."

So, the father cut down on his bun and meat orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.

His hot dog sales fell almost overnight.,

"You were right, son" the father said to his son. "We certainly are in the middle of a great depression."




Experts say we need more experts. Experts everywhere agree.

Thunder in the Valley Fireworks Committee Reacts

by Crowsnest Pass Herald

Dear Editor:
Upon learning of Crowsnest Pass Municipal Council's decision to cancel the upcoming Thunder In The Valley event originally scheduled for July 2012, we would like to express our sincere disappointment.

For the past eighteen years we have poured our hearts and souls, as well as thousands of volunteer hours, into putting on one of the largest fireworks shows in southern Alberta. We would also like to thank the people of the Crowsnest Pass for their overwhelming support that has allowed us to continue for almost two decades.

It has been made evident to us over the past few months that Council, as well as the RCMP, have lacked the support or desire to see this event continue. As it finally came to a tipping point on March 6, 2012, it became very clear that the members of the council have been looking for reasons to cancel the event rather than find solutions to promote and continue with it.

In an email from Councillor Saindon on March 7th, he informed us that even though "(they) know this event draws an enormous crowd (that they) as a committee need to move forward with new events that will still draw people and make the weekend a success."

We have always contended that we did not want to push an event on this town that was not desired. We now have to accept that it is not. Council has informed us that they do not have an adequate plan in place to address the concerns raised. This appears to be no more than an excuse, using the guise of inflated cost evaluations coupled with the refusal to make appropriate plans. We question as to why council has deferred this planning until only a few months prior to an event of such a large scale in the community? As far as we understand, the monetary value of the policing and management of the Rum Runner Days weekend was a large factor in council's decision.

After reviewing the proposed 'budget,' which is full of inflated figures, it is no wonder that they decided to cancel the event. Rather than working with the current situation, they would prefer to go in a different direction and "focus on the parade, car show, Gazebo park events, free stage, potential concert, dinner and dance etc."

We also find it unusual that the Municipal council based its decision on the recommendation of two individuals, the CAO and the Interim Manager, Enforcement Services, neither of whom even live in the community full time nor took the time to meet with our organization to discuss their concerns.

However, as mentioned in our original statement following the announcement, we do not agree with Municipal council's decision, but we will abide by it as they have been elected to speak for the people of the Crowsnest Pass.

We do find it interesting that the municipality has recently found funds available to create several new positions and to spend enormous amounts of money on having bylaws created and revised, but when it came to spending money on public safety for an event that draws thousands to the area, the financial burden became too high.

Interestingly enough, the Crowsnest Pass Promoter recently published an article regarding a new fireworks bylaw, in which Donna Tona is quoted as saying "If we continue with our fireworks show, Thunder in the Valley, we do need to follow the rules of the province [and] all the Acts.”

We find this surprising as news to us, as the members of our organization are regulated by the Federal Government through the Explosives Regulatory Branch and use fireworks that are not subject to provincial acts. It brings into question how much research was actually done by her.

Following that up, the article mentions that "Mayor Decoux questioned why Thunder in the Valley organizers haven’t brought the issue to the attention of the RCMP if it was against federal law." Quite honestly, we are embarrassed that the mayor's ignorance regarding what we have been doing for the past eighteen years. We did not realize that it was a volunteer organization's responsibility to ensure that the municipal council was doing its due diligence in matters of legality.

Between the comments of Tona and Decoux in the article, our organization was quite offended, making us feel that we have been nothing but a group of common criminals for the last eighteen years.

We would ask that before Mayor Decoux or Interim Manager, Enforcement Services speak publicly about our organization in the future that they would do some adequate research to avoid slandering our organization's reputation. Possibly in the future they may want to actually consult us directly on such matters.


Thunder in the Valley Committee




Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

Polls: Should people stand up to their Mayor and Council in the Crowsnest?

For those into polls, I have two new ones you can take part in. Both deal with local governance issues that appears to be at odds with what residents want.






The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.

Oh, the horror, the horror

Oh, the horror, the horror! The nerds in suits (council) have taken over and now we are hostages to their every whim. From the upcoming 'police state' (as Peter so accurately described our soon to be implemented hiring of 'peace officers' (revenue police) program) to now the cancelling of our Thunder in the Valley fireworks.

They will soon be taking both our bread and our circus' away from us. Is there no end to our miseries here in the Pass?





The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.